Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of teledentistry was limited; The utility of teledentistry was widely questioned in light of the predominately procedural nature of dentistry. Due to the closures of dental practices and organizations during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, teledentistry quickly became a useful tool for dental providers to connect…
The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on all aspects of the oral health care system. The temporary suspension of oral health services impacted patients seeking preventive and restorative dental services with enduring consequences. Dental providers faced threats to job security as well as to their physical safety since the oral health workforce was among…
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted consumer access to oral health care. The temporary closure of dental offices and fear related to the pandemic affected dental visits and led to experimentation in using teledentistry to serve oral health care needs. This article examines consumers’ use of teledentistry from June 2019 through June 2020, assessing respondents’ teledentistry use…
Despite improvements in oral health care for children in recent years, poor pediatric oral health continues to be a serious health issue in the United States. To investigate this, a web-based survey was conducted with 1,745 parents/legal guardians regarding their children’s access to oral health services. This article identifies barriers to needed dental care for…
Teledentistry is the use of information and communication technology to deliver virtual oral health services in real time (synchronous) or through store-and-forward (asynchronous) methods. Regulatory guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic facilitated the swift adoption and expansion of teledentistry. However, considerable variability in regulation of teledentistry by states limits the ability of clinicians to provide virtual…
Dental therapy is a workforce model that introduces mid-level practitioners—dental therapists—with both preventive and restorative skills. The introduction of dental therapists appears to improve access to and equity in dental service delivery in the US. The Oral Health Workforce Research Center conducted a study that evaluated the satisfaction of clinical providers, organizational administrators, and patients…
Dental therapy is a workforce innovation that appears to improve access to and equity in dental service delivery in the US. This webinar discussed the origins and evolution of this workforce model, the process of authorizing and implementing dental therapy training and practice in states, and the impacts on patients and providers in Minnesota where…
With the graduation of more females from dental school, the dental profession is becoming more gender diverse. This study, conducted by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC), builds on previous work on gender diversity in dentistry. Researchers used data from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey (ACS) to evaluate the impact of dentists’ personal characteristics…
Dental therapists (DTs) are primary care dental providers, used globally, and were introduced in the United States (US) in 2005. DTs have now been adopted in 13 states and several Tribal nations. This article qualitatively examines the drivers and outcomes of the US dental therapy movement through a health equity lens, including community engagement, implementation…
Many physician assistant (PA) education programs provide training in oral health competencies. However, little is known about how this education translates to clinical practice. This article describes an online survey of a national sample of 2014 PA education program graduates to determine how many PAs are educated in oral health competencies and how this education…
